Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Antebellum Album for 2018: Fabric & Set

It's 2018 and I haven't told you enough about the new free Block of the Month here at Civil War Quilts. The twelve sampler blocks will all be pieced, drawn from designs popular for Antebellum Album quilts.

Most of the samplers I've looked at mixed applique and pieced

blocks, but we're focusing on piecing in 2018.

I've selected 12 of the popular pieced designs seen in samplers and signaturequilts from the 1840s & '50s. Some of the patterns I chose are in this album quilt from the Massachusetts project & the Quilt Index.

(No Sunflowers! No applique!)

The blocks will be easy to moderately difficult what with a few curved & Y seams.

I'll post patterns on the last Wednesday of each month in 2018. You don't have to sign up, the patterns are free here. If you prefer you can buy a PDF download of four patterns three times during 2018 from my Etsy store. I'll mail you the paper patterns or you can print them yourself. I'll post the first set on Etsy on the last of this month.

If you're planning to use scraps for your 12 sampler blocks I'd pick a color palette and maybe buy a yard of background or a theme fabric (perhaps adding that yard to one of the setting block fabrics below).

Or just buy a bunch of repro prints. Here's a cornucopia of gorgeous Jo Morton prints

I saw for sale the other day.

If you want to use the same fabrics throughout the 12 sampler blocks:

I'd pick 5--- Light, Light medium, Medium, Medium dark and Dark.

Sort of shaded like the above. Really dark, really light and then three in between.

Choose a background too and buy a yard of that, and then half yards of the 5 others.

That gives you 3-1/2 yards for the sampler blocks. Should be plenty.

You'll also need a half yard for binding the 60" quilt.

The Official Set

Turkey red and overdyed green 1840-1880.

We have to have an official set that all the model makers can ignore. (They follow their own muses, which is fine with me.) I've chosen a double nine patch, a classic old American pattern. There will probably be more set suggestions throughout the year too so you might want to wait to decide on how to set the blocks. You can always refer to this page. I'll post a link in the left hand column during the year.

YARDAGE

& Cutting for the Alternate Block Setting

For the squares A & B (light pink) 1 yard

For the rectangles C & D (dark pink) 1-3/4 yards

Alternate Nine-Patch Set

60" x 60

13 Alternate Blocks

12 Sampler Blocks

I used EQ7 to figure out the yardage (EQ8 wasn't available yet)

I imagine it works in similar fashion in either program.

First I colored the blocks in distinctive fashion so I could read the key.

Then I went to Print > Print Fabric Yardage

I used the default settings

And here's what it said:

For the squares A & B (light pink) 7/8 yard

For the rectangles C & D (dark pink) 1-1/2 yards

I'd add a little more if you want to have some for the sampler blocks too = 1 yard and 1-3/4 yards.

Okay, I've been quilting about 16 months. I wouldn't attempt your challenge yet, but I can piece most 4" blocks with simply finger-pinning. My question is about the "curves:" I've pieced a Drunkards Path & I'm more than willing to learn new skills. Would I be completely lost on the blocks with curves? Thanks for any advice.

I love Alice's expression about needing another new project like a hole in the head and it's exactly what I think for me, too!Nevertheless ................ I am going to participate. 🙃😇I like the idea with the alternate block setting!Best wishes!

I like that it will show some continuity with the other blocks. It’s hard to decide if I will do this or make your Ladies Album quilt. I have treasured this fat quarter bundle! If I make this I will include a couple of squares from last year.